News

Injured baby sparrow We were overdue a visit to the charity we are supporting at Internal Doors, the Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary. Our Marketing Manager Jade once again had a surprise visit from an injured bird, this time an injured baby sparrow was found in a carpark and kindly brought round to her by her neighbour. Jade gave Geoff from the wildlife sanctuary a call and he advised that she needed to feed the bird every half an hour, so after a long night looking after the sweet little sparrow. Jade made her way to the wildlife sanctuary in the morning. The sanctuary are on call 24 hours a day It was a busy day at the Wildlife sanctuary, they had a surprise visit from around 30 school children all wanting to take photos of the wide variety of animals they look care for. The owner Geoff was particularly tired, having been awake since 4am tending to an emergency call. This is a regular occurrence here, the sanctuary is open 24 hours a day to help sick or injured animals. Geoff was not going to have a rest any time soon though, he regularly visits schools and does talks to the children about caring for wildlife, he was due at a talk that afternoon. After the talk he had to accompany the police to a park where children had been caught kicking a wild swan, the police were going to try and catch them in the act and arrest them, Geoff was going along to tend to the poor animal.   Unfortunately days like this are a regular occurrence meaning Geoff and his team of volunteers are stretched to the very limit in terms of time and resources. A high number of emergency calls make it difficult for Geoff to schedule talks with schools and other establishments which are a vital source of funding for the sanctuary.  

The primary reason that fire doors are installed in buildings is, of course, to protect property and more importantly to save lives in the event of a fire.

To most of us, the door is just a gateway devised to protect us from the elements and enable us to be shut away from everything dangerous and unwholesome. Our doors are faithful companions through everything; they’ve seen the ups and downs and they bear the brunt of anger when they’re kicked and slammed. Doors have a lifespan and often need to be replaced, but just because they aren’t up to doing their original job anymore, it doesn’t mean they can’t find another niche elsewhere – after all, who doesn’t love a good upcycling DIY project? Upcycle Ideas.. What could be better than taking something nearing the end of its lifespan and giving it a new lease of life by turning into something that is not only great to look at, but useful too? Door Corner Shelf  This invention is a great display area for social areas such as living rooms and would be great for vases, ornaments or awards to be proudly shown off. It would also be great to store books or in the kitchen for pots and pans or spices. Using an older door can give any room some character with a rustic, period appearance. Coffee Table Door Turning your old door into a coffee table can be a small project or something more extravagant – the choice is all yours. You may wish to seal and paint the door, affix them to a stable block of wood and leave it at that. Others may want to take it a step further and create something with a bit more personality.  Sanding down your old internal doors will give them a new look, and with numerous paints and stains available, you are sure to be able to find the finish you desire.  Door Headboard The bed is the focal point for any bedroom and a uniquely featured headboard can create the finish you’ve been searching for. The doors can be trimmed and moulded in any which way you desire; featuring plinths and shelves. There are a huge array of waxes, varnishes, oils and stains which you can use to give your old doors a complete makeover. However, you choose to design your headboard ensure that it is securely fastened. Mirrored Doors                   One of the easiest and most beautiful ways to transform old internal doors and in fact, an entire room, is to fit mirrors. Mirrored surfaces bring light to a room and create an illusion of space and expanse. There aren’t really any hard and fast rules as to where these doors could go. Whether you’re using it as the door to a wardrobe or to another room, using mirrors will completely transform the whole space for the better. Sliding Doors This is perhaps one of the easiest options we have on our list and is a great choice for absolute maximum impact. The door can be painted and treated in any way you like and can be trimmed down to fit the door frame. Fitting your old doors to sliding rails can bring a very European feel to any room and will add a unique dynamic. Internal sliding doors are becoming much more popular and a more rustic door will embrace the industrial looking rail track rather than trying to conceal it.   Upcycling can be a great way to save money and reinvent your home and even your garden on a budget. Refurbishing furniture can be as expensive or as time-consuming as you make it; your DIY competence will determine how far you wish to go with your projects. Starting a DIY calendar and working on smaller projects and building your way up to bigger pieces is a great way to start upcycling and is a way of saving money and preventing waste. If you’re looking to give your home a little TLC by replacing old doors, don’t hesitate to contact us or visit us at our Hinckley showroom. Information is accurate at time of publishing, however, may be subject to change.

If you’re looking to improve your home and make changes that will make your life just that little bit easier, doesn’t it make sense to put together a very careful plan to keep track of everything, piece-by-piece?

Great interior design works aesthetically as well as practically. You may consider choosing internal doors a fairly insignificant aspect of this process, but the right product can add value to both components of the design: adding substance and a feeling of luxury

If you want to add a new doorway to your property, then you will need to make sure that there is a perfectly aligned frame in place for the door to hang upon. Fitting a door lining is a relatively easy process, and the lining can be used to make sure that the doorway is perfectly shaped and sized so that the door can open and close freely.

Door knobs, handles, hinges and locks - which hardware should I choose for my door? Now you have chosen the perfect door to compliment your home, it’s time to pick out your door furniture and add that all important finishing touch. But with so many styles to choose from, it can be difficult to make a decision and pick out the right furniture to achieve your desired interior look. With plenty of experience in helping people get the finish they really want, we’ve put together a short guide to hopefully point you in the right direction!  With our doors for the most part split into modern and traditional styles, knowing which yours falls under is a major step in the right direction towards choosing the right hardware to accompany it. Door Knobs or Door Levers? Your handles are usually what first catches a person’s eye when using a door so we highly recommend choosing these first selecting the rest of your door hardware to match them. But even before that, you need to decided whether it’s a handle you want to fit or if you’d prefer a slightly more traditional look which will be better achieved by installing door knobs. In addition to the looks offered by both options, there are functional considerations to take into account too. Door Knobs - This timeless door accessory dates as far back as the 17th century. Most styles will suit even the most traditional of doors, yet the sleek simple style will not look out of place on modern doors either. Difficult for children or pets to open, which is a safety feature in itself. They are usually more forgiving if you bump into them and you are less likely to catch your clothing on them. Door Levers - Available in a wide variety of styles from rustic and traditional to contemporary. Door levers are often considered luxurious and upmarket. Usually a better choice for those with limited hand or arm strength. A point to consider is that children and even some persistent pets may be able to open a door with a door lever installed. On the up side, opening a door using a door lever is far easier with your hands full than having to twist a door knob. You also need to keep in mind door levers match the door orientation, so if you have a left or right opening door, ensure your door knobs open the same way. Hinges It is advisable to choose hinges which match the finish of your handles, so if you have chosen brass handles, choose brass hinges too, this will create a seamless, consistent look. Most people prefer to have two hinges per door which will suffice in holding the door securely to the frame, but some like three hinges per door, this is usually for aesthetic reasons. The standard 3” butt hinge is the most popular for the majority of internal doors, although cottage doors such as ledge and brace look better with butterfly,  H or T Hinges. Locks, bolts and turn and releases Some rooms such as a bathroom in some instances a bedroom, may require a lock. There are a variety of options to choose from such as the standard bolt, which sits on the surface of the door, or you may want to choose a latch with a built in lock which is fitted on the mechanism inside the door. This will need to be accompanied by a turn and release on the outside of the door, often considered a better finish than the standard bolt. So whether you have gone for door knobs or handles  for your internal doors we are sure you will make the right decision. Take a look at our entire range of door hardware and accessories here. Information is accurate at time of publishing, however, may be subject to change.

This time we’re taking a look at the crafts geared most toward the language of love.  Almost inevitably, many of these crafts on this list were brought about by Valentine’s Day; those with an aversion to love hearts and the colour pink should consider themselves warned!

Sometimes, no matter how much time or money you’ve spent on decorating a home, something still doesn’t feel right. The worst thing about this is that you know you can’t just go out and keep spending money – after all, no-one has a bottomless pit of the stuff (if you do, please get in touch and we can be friends).

Quick - Cinderella has a ball to get to but the invitation doesn’t say where the palace is! This means we can’t access our pumpkin carriage to take poor Cinderella to her ball, and Prince Charming is waiting for her to arrive. She might not make it before the clock strikes 12 so we need your help!

When decorating our homes, handmade touches can add a real personal feel to our surroundings. They allow us to put our own stamp on things and feel a sense of achievement. There’s nothing better than saying ‘I made that’, especially when friends and family are admiring your décor. However, getting started can be challenging for many of us. Perhaps we don’t see ourselves as creative or dexterous. But.......

Tinned food is widely purchased around the world (what would we do without beans?!), but what do we do with cans once we're done with the product that's inside? More than likely, we throw it away or recycle it. Recycling is a great way to help the environment but why not keep the tin and reuse it as a household item? Here's some great ideas on how to upcycle your tin cans.

Wood is a stunning material that needs to be cared for properly, but is more than worth the effort. Here are 21 bathrooms that have incorporated wood into the design - the results are striking and inspiring!

2015 is now in full swing, and festive excess has long been abandoned in favour of January thrift.  The global DIY community has therefore been looking toward ways to get their lives back into order.  With that in mind, we thought we’d concentrate on the projects which help to get your life and home organised.

Hacks promising to change your life for the better are taking over the internet: from the pure genius, to the lightbulb moment 'why didn't I think of it' ideas, to the downright ridiculous. There's a lot to sort through, so, to save you some time, we've sorted the trash from the treasure to bring you the very best of the internet's household hacks. Learn how to put a duvet cover on in 24 seconds, dewrinkle clothes without an iron, prevent bin leakages, and more, in the infographic below.

With 2014 winding down (or wrapping up depending on how excited you are for Christmas), those of us who always want to stay ahead of the trends are starting to consider what fresh life we can bring to our homes in 2015. Whilst a complete redesign might be taking things a little far (unless you have the budget and the time, of course), here we've collated a few of the subtle design trends you might want to consider dipping your toes into, that we think will be making waves in the next 12 months.

Ever 'labelled' things at home with a white sticker and a Biro? Yep, us too. But not anymore. We've designed a selection of beautiful labels that you can print off for use on everything from spice pots, to jam jars, and bathroom odds and ends.

Christmas wouldn't be the same without a party game or two, but don't just rely on that stash of dusty old board games - it's super easy to create your own party games, almost entirely by repurposing things you'll find lying around the house! Here's nine ideas for DIY games that you can play inside and (weather permitting) outside the house, using just a few key items.

Christmas is here - as if you didn't already know - and it's time to turn your home into Santa's Grotto! A lot of people re-buy their decorations every year instead of reusing the ones that they have and if you added up the amount you spent, you'd probably be pretty shocked. Making your own decorations is a great way to save money at Christmas; not only is this fun for all the family but it also gives you more money to spend on the fun stuff. We've found some great Christmas related ideas, whether it's for decorations or presents, that can be made out of old cereal boxes - get the glitter at the ready because it's about to get messy!